Kings agree to trade DeMarcus Cousins to Pelicans

Shortly after the Western Conference won the All-Star Game in New Orleans, DeMarcus Cousins found out he was being traded to the city in which he was already.
USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Davis talks to DeMarcus Cousins during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome during All Star Weekend. Now it appears these two will be teammates.(Photo: Jonathan Bachman)

NEW ORLEANS — In a blockbuster deal that came with dramatic timing, the New Orleans Pelicans landed DeMarcus Cousins and Omri Casspi from the Sacramento Kings Sunday for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and a first and second round pick in 2017, according to a person familiar with the trade.

The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been announced.

And with that, the Kings made a shocking pick on their future as they neared a free agency fork in the road this summer.

For months, the notion of Cousins eventually signing a five-year, $207 million deal as the Kings' 'designated player' this summer was widely considered a foregone conclusion.

Even with the struggles of the past six-plus seasons, with the Kings having never won more than 33 games since Cousins was drafted fifth overall out of Kentucky, he spoke openly of his desire to stay in Sacramento. Instead, the deal that would send him closer to his hometown of Mobile, Ala. got done while Pelicans star and fellow Kentucky alum Anthony Davis was starring in the All-Star game and Cousins (who played just two minutes) was, in essence, waiting to be handed his new Pelicans jersey.

The scene afterward was surreal, with Kings officials informing Cousins of the development as he sat down to talk with reporters and Davis being asked about being paired with Cousins in his news conference.

"He's a great player, dominant in this league, of course, with all the numbers he put up,” Davis said. “But I haven't heard anything. So I'm going to let the management, once again, do what they do, and when the time is right, the'll come talk to me about it. Of course, DeMarcus is an elite player in this league.”

Said a smiling Cousins: "(All Star weekend) was amazing, man. I enjoyed the city of New Orleans. I love it here in New Orleans."

This is a culture move for the Kings, who are extremely fond of Hield and who were desperate to replenish their depleted draft assets en route to another rebuild. Not only will they now have the Pelicans' pick in this loaded draft (they're currently 23-34 and very likely to get better, thus depreciating the pick), but they'll likely keep their first rounder that goes to Chicago if it's not in the top 10 (they're currently 24-33 and likely to get worse). According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Cousins' mercurial ways played a major part in their decision.

For years, through five coaching changes and two front-office overhauls, there were complaints internally about how Cousins would treat younger players and his inability to be a positive part of a strong culture. As the Kings pondered Cousins' massive payday these past few months, the unprecedented rate at which he earned a game suspension because of technical fouls certainly didn't help matters. Because Cousins earned his 16th technical in a game against Chicago on Feb. 7, he had to miss the Feb. 8 game against Boston which, in the end, played a subtle part here as well.

With former Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas and his surging Celtics in town and Cousins nowhere to be seen, the Kings won going away (108-92) in a game that would be a topic of internal discussion in the days to come. Thomas' presence was fitting in a way, as his inability to mesh with Cousins during his early NBA years played a part in his departure and eventual rise.

Cousins, who was playing in his third All-Star game, is averaging a career-high 27.8 points this season (on 45.2% shooting) to go along with 10.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.3 blocks. He’s also making a career-high 1.7 three-pointers per game (on 35.6% shooting).

Hield is averaging 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in his first NBA season. He was picked sixth in this year's draft by the Pelicans and has played 20.4 minutes a night for the Pelicans and started 37 of the team’s 57 games.

Evans, who was drafted by the Kings with the fourth overall pick in 2009 and spent the first four seasons of his career in Sacramento, is averaging a career-low 9.5 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds this season while recovering from multiple knee surgeries.